CHICK WITH SWOLLEN CROP!!!

[zookeepersgirl]

My 12 week old chick has had a swollen crop for about a week. It does not empty overnight, it just gets a little smaller. What should I do?

 

[newmarch2014]

oh my, go to the emergencies thread first off, you will get some good experienced advice. Is it really firm feeling? I have had good luck with very carefully administering a small bit of olive oil and massaging it to help get it worked loose. have you been offering plenty of free choice grit as I would assume that you are feeding more than chick mash?

 

[newmarch2014]

I should have said, I have never had that large of a crop be a problem and so this may be a special circumstance. If it is soft and squishy it could be sour crop but if she is seeming not to feel sickly it is probably not that. If it is squishy if you turn her updiown and brown smelly stuff runs out it is likely sour crop and should be treated differently than I mentioned earlier.

 

[zookeepersgirl]

Her crop is soft and squishy.
She is living outside and has access to grit.
She is not as lively as she used to be, but not sickly looking ether.

 

[newmarch2014]

So if it is soft and squishy, turn her upsidown (outside) and gently straighten her neck, and gently massage her crop, a bunch of disgusting brown liquid should flow out. Then try feeding her some yogurt to restore the good bacteria in her crop. And research "sour crop" if the brown stuff comes out (which I imagine it will) and that should lead you on the right track.

 

[zookeepersgirl]

I flipped her upside down and yet not much came out. Just some yellowish stuff that looked like chick feed mixed lightly with water, ( which is probably what it was). What should I do now?

 

[newmarch2014]

Check with the disease, emergencies thread. If it was actually sour crop it would be yucky brown fermented stuff. It sounds like maybe it is impacted crop but I am not sure. When one of mine had an impacted crop I was able to carefully squirt a small amount of olive oil a few times into her beak and she drank it down and then I massaged her crop to loosen the contents but I am not sure that is what the problem for yours is as it is squishy.